Purple Gorgonain

[Chutsk10]

My LFS has a real nice Purple Gorg I have been looking at the last few weeks and the owner there says it is photosynthetic and that she has one in her tank that is doing well (I didn't ask if she was feeding it or not.) After researching on the internet I am recieveing mixed results some sites saying they are photosynthetic and some saying they aren't. Does anyone have any experience with these and can verify if they are photosynthetic or not and if not what are you doing/ feeding it to keep it alive.

 

The gorg in questions is similar to the picture.

 

 

PS: I am not interested in people saying I am an idiot or that I will fail etc. etc, at no point did I say I was going to buy this creature and if it turns out to be beyond my capabilities I will not buy it. If you have only "heard" they are hard to keep, keep it to yourself as I already know non-photosynthetic gorgs are hard to keep. I am only looking for advice from those who have experience with this coral.

[Amerijuanican]

Its hard to say... Do some research and ask your LFS where they imported it from. Then look on the internet for species specific gorgonians for that area and that will give you a better idea. I'm going to go ahead and say NO though because most purple gorgonians are not photosynthetic

[lakshwadeep]

The purple ribbon gorgonian is photosynthetic. It is different from the one you pictured.

 

http://www.garf.org/36/gorgallabout/allaboutgorgs.html

 

some help:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gorgidfaqs.htm

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gorgfdgfaqs.htm

[Seanfg89]

If you're looking for Photosynthetic Purple Gorgonians, I would highly reccomend the Purple Plume Gorgonia from sealifeinc.net (Muriceopsis flavida), I myself own several of them, regularly frag them, and throughly enjoy them. They are completely photosynthetic but like nearly every other coral, they do not have any objections to some feeding of phytoplankton.

[Withers]

PS: I am not interested in people saying I am an idiot or that I will fail etc. etc, at no point did I say I was going to buy this creature and if it turns out to be beyond my capabilities I will not buy it. If you have only "heard" they are hard to keep, keep it to yourself as I already know non-photosynthetic gorgs are hard to keep. I am only looking for advice from those who have experience with this coral.

 

lol

 

Photosynthetic gorgonians will always have brown polyps. Past that I have no idea.

[SeeDemTails]

So the white polyp ones are nonphotosynthetic?

[Withers]

So the white polyp ones are nonphotosynthetic?

 

Yup. You mean the yellow based ones with white polyps, right?

[yardboy]

The basis I go by is that white poylps are non-phot, colored (often but not always brown) are photo. there are colored that are non-photo also (Swiftia for exmple) but that purple polyped one in your picture I'm not sure about. Sure is pretty though.

I've got three different purple gorgonian's in my tank that are photosynthetic and are doing well, but all three have brown polyps. As someone else said, I've never met a gorgonian that wouldn't munch plankton, brown or white polyps!

[Withers]

The basis I go by is that white poylps are non-phot, colored (often but not always brown) are photo. there are colored that are non-photo also (Swiftia for exmple) but that purple polyped one in your picture I'm not sure about. Sure is pretty though.

I've got three different purple gorgonian's in my tank that are photosynthetic and are doing well, but all three have brown polyps. As someone else said, I've never met a gorgonian that wouldn't munch plankton, brown or white polyps!

 

I'd like to see a link to some photosynthetic gorgonians with non-brown polyps. They could be out there, I've just never heard of one. I would love to be proven wrong though.

[SeeDemTails]

I have seen some recently that have purple bases and white polyps, they are caribbean, several types actually, all the same coloration. I was under the impression they are photosynthetic, but they get fed as well.

[Sexy Shrimp]

Interesting...

[Seanfg89]

Photosynthetic gorgonians will always have brown polyps. Past that I have no idea.

 

I have a Yellow Sea Whip (Pterogorgia citrina) that is completely photosynthetic and has white polyps. In high light the poylps white-out but in low light they do turn brown.

[spanko]

Here is a good read.

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2002/toonen.htm

[Withers]

I have a Yellow Sea Whip (Pterogorgia citrina) that is completely photosynthetic and has white polyps. In high light the poylps white-out but in low light they do turn brown.

 

Pics? From looking online you can't really tell.

 

The second part of your post is either false or extremely rare. I've kept photosynthetic gorgonians in very high light conditions and I've never seen a polyp turn white.

[yardboy]

Vic, don't be so dogmatic.

I actually get a lot of my information from books, so I won't look up links for you, but try googling Briareum asbestinum and Erythropodium caribaeorum. They both have polyp colors other than brown; green and green/tan respectively. And I also have a yellow sea whip whose polyps could easily be called white or cream, and it is labelled as photosynthetic. Of course, we know labels are useless if we think otherwise, yes?

[Seanfg89]

Here is an older picture of the Yellow Sea Whip, quality isn't too good but its best around the middle of the picture.

 

 

And here is an older picture of the Purple Plume Gorgonia when its polyps were white. They are now however brown but with incredibly long tentacles.

 

[Sexy Shrimp]

The purple ones tentacles look buff/yellow. Mine white polyped one (that I killed ) had bright white polyps!

[Seanfg89]

Well to me and what I'm used to in corals, they were white but I see what you're saying. Either way, they're certainly not the normal brown most people would be used to or be expecting.

[Withers]

Vic, don't be so dogmatic.

I actually get a lot of my information from books, so I won't look up links for you, but try googling Briareum asbestinum and Erythropodium caribaeorum. They both have polyp colors other than brown; green and green/tan respectively. And I also have a yellow sea whip whose polyps could easily be called white or cream, and it is labelled as photosynthetic. Of course, we know labels are useless if we think otherwise, yes?

 

I tried to not make it sound that way

 

I really enjoy gorgonians but will only buy photosynthetic ones, I really do just want to find some that are more colorful is all. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an abundance of information about them. Everything I had read (and seen) suggested that all photosynthetic gorgonians had brown polyps.

 

If their polyps do change colors it must be due to some factor other than lighting IMO.

[jeremai]

Zooxanthellae are brown. In gorgonians, zooxanthellae provide the dominant color. Photosynthetic gorgonians have polyps that are brown are a shade thereof - including, but not limited to, tan, buff, mauve, taupe, etc.

 

I've always found photosynthetic gorgonians to darken their polyps under higher light, but that's just me. If the polyps on a Muriceopsis, Pterogorgia or Pseudopterogorgia turn white, they probably have a nutrient deficiency from lack of feeding (only about 80% of their total energy needs can be met with photosynthesis). Or maybe they just look white to certain people.

 

That gorgonia in the OP is most definitely nonphotosynthetic. Wish I had a latin name for you, though. Chutsk10, you said you've been doing research on it - what names have you been searching with?

[spanko]

is there a Eunicea that has that bright purple color of the OP's picture?

[yardboy]

the questionable part is the polyps. Dare I wonder if they are dyed?

Vic, you sure threw me off, I was expecting a more "heated" response

Thanks for not.

My notion is if the light levels are low, the polyp has to have more zooxan to cover it's needs. If the light level is high, a lower population of zooxan will do?

But then there's the hard coral Oculina, which in low light is white (and presumed azooxan) but in hgher light browns up. Either way it grows and survives. Maybe at lower light levels it doesn't want to share whatever it captures with any zooxan? Dunno.

Sorry for the truncated versions of zooxanthellate.

[Chutsk10]

That gorgonia in the OP is most definitely nonphotosynthetic. Wish I had a latin name for you, though. Chutsk10, you said you've been doing research on it - what names have you been searching with?

 

Haha "Purple Gorgonian" . . . Latin enough for you? I have basically just been trying to find pictures which match what the LFS has and haven't really been taking note of the proper names of these things.

 

Thanks all, it appears as though the general consensus is that they would be non-photosynthetic. I still have to get around to asking the lady at the LFS if she feeds the one in her personal tank or not.

[jeremai]

Haha "Purple Gorgonian" . . . Latin enough for you? I have basically just been trying to find pictures which match what the LFS has and haven't really been taking note of the proper names of these things.

 

Thanks all, it appears as though the general consensus is that they would be non-photosynthetic. I still have to get around to asking the lady at the LFS if she feeds the one in her personal tank or not.

lol, no worries. Yeah, what Vic said is, by and large, true - tan or brown polyped gorgonians are photosynthetic, white or colored polyped gorgonians aren't. There may be a few rare exceptions to this, but it is a good general rule, as it applies to the vast majority of gorgonians we encounter in the hobby.

 

Good luck.